Matteo Caldara will head back to Milan in the summer as Atalanta will not retain him. The Orobici have a €16M option to acquire him following an 18-month loan spell, but they will not pick it up. The 26-year-old center-back will be back at Stefano Pioli’s disposal in the pre-season, Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
Caldara has been healthy in the last three months, but he has made just 7 appearances off the bench. He believes to be in good physical condition, but coach Gian Piero Gasperini has always picked the other options over him.
The once promising defender was purchased by the Rossoneri from Juventus in 2018, with a €36.4M evaluation as part of a swap deal for Leonardo Bonucci, who headed back to Turin. He joined from the Bianconeri alongside Gonzalo Higuain.
However, major injuries have derailed his career. A partial Achilles rupture and a major calf strain sidelined him for over three months in the Autumn of 2018, then he tore his left ACL in May shortly after returning. In Bergamo, he missed a decent portion of the current season due to a laceration of the patellar tendon in the same knee.
Directors Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara will evaluate his position in the summer. Caldara has two years left on his contract with Milan. The management might decide to give him a shot and keep him in the roster for depth purposes in the back. It would be complicated to find a satisfying deal to move on from him because his value has plummeted, but another loan can not be ruled out.